Real Estate Information Archive

As Kermit the Frog knows, It’s not easy being green, especially so for a lawn trying to survive the heat and dryness of summer.  And for you, the Montgomery AL home owner, it’s not easy to look at your distressed and dying lawn after all the time and effort you have put into it in previous months.  Not to despair, however; it may not be too late to revive—or at least repair---the grassy areas of your landscape. Try following the following steps:

Watering:

• Consistently water your lawn. Most often, a lawn goes bad due to a lack of water.  Make sure to water evenly and thoroughly so that the water will reach six inches into the ground. If not, the roots may grow toward the surface and make the grass vulnerable for sun damage. 
• Water very early in the morning to avoid losing moisture to evaporation and allow the lawn plenty of time to dry. Lawns that stay wet overnight are breeding grounds for pests and disease.
• Keeping your lawn hydrated can be a difficult task with many local areas introducing water bans, but keep in mind that it is better to water deeply only a few times a week than lightly sprinkle the lawn every day.

Feeding:

• Add sugar, yes, sugar.  Odd as it may sound, this practice works because the sugar protects the microbes necessary for a lawn to stay healthy. Spread approximately 1 pound of sugar to every 300 square feet of lawn area of your Montgomery AL home.
• Leave the clippings behind when you mow your lawn.   They contain nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, all necessary for healthy lawn growth.
• Use fertilizer sparingly. Follow directions to ensure proper use and timing.

Reseed or replace with sod:

• When coaxing and coddling do not work magic on the damaged grassy spots, it is most likely time to start over by reseeding.  Visit eHow.com for expert advice on seed mixtures, application, and care.
• Another option for re-greening your landscape is using sod, either to replace brown patches or to redo the entire lawn.  Step-by-step instructions for both can be found on many Internet sites.  Click here for specific advice for laying sod in patches, or visit HGTV.com for a total replacement guide.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

It certainly appears that summer heat is here to stay.  While we humans have the ability to limit our time outside and escape to the relief of air conditioning and fans, the plants in the gardens of your Montgomery AL home are not so fortunate and must withstand high temperatures and frequent dry conditions.

Just as we make an extra effort to watch over young children and the elderly during the summer months, so, too, we need to be aware of the needs of our plants.  The following tips should be useful in ensuring enduring greenery through the fall:

• Dead heading:  Remove the spent flowers (called "deadheading") as they die, so the plant can put its energy into producing more flowers. This is particularly beneficial for geraniums, marigolds, roses, and most perennials.
   
• Cutting back: When greenery such as petunias, impatiens, and trailing types of plants become long and spindly, cut them back by one-third to one-half and then fertilize with a water-soluble fertilizer.
   
• Weeding:  Although you most likely put down a thick layer of mulch when you first planted, those pesky weeds do have a way of cropping up.  Every few days check the gardens for weeds and pull them as needed. It is easier to pull weeds if the soil is moist.  If you must use a chemical weed control, check to see if it is selective or non-selective.
   
• Watering:   Proper watering is critical to your plant's health, but frequent, shallow watering (rain, sprinklers, etc.) leads to shallow root systems and thus a low drought-tolerance.  Click here for a deep watering schedule and tips that will be most beneficial to the landscaping of your Montgomery AL home.
   
• Fertilizing:  In addition to keeping the vegetation in the gardens of your Montgomery AL home healthy, fertilizing will also help keep your soil in good shape in case of drought or a stretch of extremely hot weather. Acid-loving species (camellias, gardenias, and azaleas) as well as those displaying yellow leaves will be especially appreciative of your diligence.

Remember, too, to take precautions to maximize your own well-being when engaged in any outside gardening projects.  Be vigilant about drinking plenty of water, taking frequent rests, and protecting your skin.  Be alert for signs of heat exhaustion and dehydration.  For specific tips on caring for yourself while gardening in the summer months, click here.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

In a study released by TD Bank, 65% of buyers with mortgages that required mortgage insurance said the higher monthly payment was more than they originally expected.

Private mortgage insurance is required on loans that exceed 80% of the home’s value.  For conventional loans, the premiums range from 0.5% to 1% annually.  The PMI could add close to $100.00 a month to the payments on a $200,000 mortgage and over $200.00 a month on a FHA mortgage.

FHA has two components to its mortgage insurance which includes an up-front charge on closing of the loan and an annual charge.  The up-front premium is 1.75% of the mortgage which can be paid in cash at closing or added to the mortgage amount.  The annual premium ranges from 0.45% to 1.35% depending on the loan-to-value and term of the mortgage.

Most lenders are required to automatically cancel coverage when a 78% loan-to-value is reached which on a 30 year loan with normal amortization could be eight to eleven years depending on original loan amount and interest rate.   If the value of the home has increased as documented by an appraisal so that the current mortgage is below 80% loan-to-value, the lender can be petitioned to eliminate the PMI.

Beginning in April, 2013, FHA requires the mortgage insurance to be paid for the entire term of the mortgage.   Prior to this rule change, it was required to remain in effect for a minimum of five years but could be cancelled when the mortgage is reduced to 78% of the original purchase price.

A homeowner can greatly reduce their cost of housing by avoiding mortgage insurance with a minimum 20% down payment.  If a higher loan-to-value mortgage is required to purchase the home, the objective should be to pay down the mortgage amount to relieve the need for the mortgage insurance.   Generally, loans with lower loan-to-value mortgages also have lower interest rates.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

Planning a summer trip is usually focused on what you’ll do, see and experience.  Enjoy it even more by spending a little time before you leave to make sure your home is safe while you're gone.

Consider these suggestions along with your other normal efforts:

• Tell your neighbors you’ll be out of town and to be aware of any unusual activity.
• Notify your alarm company .
• Discontinue your postal delivery.
• Use timers on interior lights to make it appear you’re home as usual.
• Don’t make it easy for burglars by leaving messages on voice mail or posting on social networks.
• Post on social networks about your vacation after you’ve returned.
• Remove the hidden spare keys and give one to a trusted neighbor or friend.
• Lock everything, double-check and set the alarm.
• Take pictures of your belongings in case you need them.
• Disconnect TVs and other equipment in case of unexpected power surges.
• Adjust your thermostat.
• Arrange for lawn care.
• Consider disconnecting the garage door opener.
• Put irreplaceable valuables in a safety deposit box.

 It’s nice to go out of town on a well-deserved trip and it’s always nice to get back home…especially when it is just the way you left it.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

There is a significant difference in how the money you spend on your home is treated for income tax purposes.  Repairs to maintain your home’s condition are not deductible unlike rental property owners who can deduct repairs as an operating expense.

On the other hand, capital improvements to a home will increase the basis and affect the gain when you sell which may save taxes.

Additions to a home or other improvements that have a useful life of more than one year may be considered an increase to basis or cost of the home.  Other increases to basis may include special assessments for local improvements like sidewalks or streets and amounts spent after a casualty loss to restore damage that was not covered by insurance.

Unlike repairs, improvements add to the value of a home, prolong its useful life or adapt it to new uses.

You can read more about improvements and see examples beginning on the bottom of page 8 of IRS Publication 523.  For a form to keep track of money you spend, print this Improvement Register.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

Landscaping can add tens of thousands of dollars to the value of your property. In fact, it is one of the few home improvements that not only adds value immediately, but also increases in value as the years go by. Although the term is typically associated with lawns, trees, bushes, and flowers, items such as fire pits, decks, patios, waterfalls, stone walls, gazebos, arbors, and outdoor lighting can also add to your landscape design and increase the value of your Montgomery AL real estate by as much as 7% to 15%.

Research has found that the number-one thing that buyers are looking for in landscaping is a sophisticated design. Close behind is plant size and maturity. A lesser factor, but one still worth considering, is the diversity of plant life within the landscaping design.

Landscaping gurus offer the following advice for the yard of your Montgomery AL real estate:

• Have a coherent plan/design before you begin.  Consider factors such as use, cost, climate, color, ecological advantages, environmental effectiveness, variety, and maintenance.  Scour the Web for landscaping ideas and sample designs, consult with professionals in the field, peruse magazine articles, and/or check out what your neighbors have done to enhance their property.
   
• Avoid common landscaping mistakes.  Don’t plants tress in tight spaces--or too close to your house--or introduce invasive plants because both will result in expensive removal labor eventually. It is also important to heed the information re: watering, sunlight, soil, and climate needs of the plants you purchase.
   
• Perform regular yard maintenance.  Mow, edge, prune, trim, weed, and mulch as needed to keep your curb appeal at its best.  According to the Appraisal Institute, a home with lackluster or overgrown landscaping will likely be unappealing to both prospective buyers and an appraiser and could definitely affect the home’s potential resale value in a negative way.
   
• Add a splash of color.  Plant a border of bright blossoms. Dig a flowerbed by the mailbox and add some pansies. Place a brightly colored bench or Adirondack chair on the front porch and put colorful pots on the steps.  Select bushes and trees that will lend different hues to your overall design.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

Not to be confused with homeowner’s insurance, which covers the structure and contents of your home, a warranty service contract is designed to cover systems and appliances that stop working due to normal usage.  Basic coverage generally includes the repair and replacement of major appliances such as heating/cooling system, water heater, refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, etc.  Plumbing and electrical systems are also usually covered, and some companies include washer, drier, microwave, and roof maintenance in the basic tier.

Gaining in popularity with both buyers and sellers of Montgomery AL homes, warranty service contracts serve to reassure owners that they won’t face major repair/replacement costs.  Sellers use them to protect the home while it’s on the market and as an incentive to attract buyers.  Buyers rely on them to protect them from unexpected and expensive repairs.  Even Freddie Mac will offer a $500 home warranty credit to home buyers who purchase a qualified, foreclosed single-family home, townhouse, or condominium through their HomeSteps® division.

A warranty plan for your home is fairly inexpensive, typically ranging from $250 to $400, depending on coverage. The policy is prepaid for a year in advance, at which time it expires or can be renewed.  The usual procedure for service needs is as follows:

• If a home system or appliance breaks or stops working, the home owner calls the home warranty company.
• The home warranty company calls a provider with which it has a business arrangement.
• The specific provider calls the home owner to make an appointment.
• The provider fixes the problem. If an appliance is malfunctioning and cannot be repaired, depending on contract coverage, the home warranty company will pay to replace and install the appliance.
• The home owner pays a small trade service fee (less than $100) for each service call.

Most home warranty companies offer a variety of plans, each providing different levels of coverage, so be sure to read the details of any contract before buying. If you choose to renew the contract from year-to-year, double-check the details of your plan each time since coverage can change annually.

According to the Service Contract Industry Council, 32 states require home warranty companies to register or obtain a license with that state's department of insurance and comply with applicable laws and financial standards. Membership lists are available at their website.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime!

IRS allows taxpayers the option to take the standard deduction or the itemized deduction.  The astute taxpayer will compare to see which one will result in the greatest deduction and the election can be made each year.

The 2013 standard deduction for a married couple filing jointly is $12,200 and $6,100 for a single taxpayer.  It doesn’t require any proof of actual expense and has no requirement for home ownership.

Items that can be included on Schedule A for itemized deductions include: 

• Certain taxes paid for state and local income tax, general sales tax, real estate property taxes, personal property taxes or other taxes paid
• Qualified home mortgage interest, investment interest or possibly, mortgage insurance premiums
• Charitable contributions
• Casualty or theft losses
• Medical and dental expenses that exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income if born before 1/2/49 or 10% if born after 1/2/49
• Job expenses and other miscellaneous deductions that exceed 2% of adjusted gross income

A non-homeowner taxpayer who has been taking the standard deduction needs to consider that it isn’t just the ability to deduct the mortgage interest and property taxes.

While the standard deduction might be the obvious choice for a non-homeowner, the combination of the mortgage interest and the property taxes plus other allowable deductions not recognized previously such as charitable contributions, now makes taking the itemized deductions significantly more advantageous.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

One of the most frequent calls from homeowners to their agents is about the listing’s inactivity due to the lack of showings.  The homeowner commonly believes that the home is shown only when a buyer walks through the house with an agent.

Today’s buyers are more sophisticated than in the past due to the abundance of information available to the public on the Internet.  There are seemingly inexhaustible sites with homes for sale, valuation estimates and virtual tours.  There are extensive mapping sites with satellite images, traffic conditions, entertainment, shopping and other points of interest.

There are actually three legitimate types of property showings.  A knowledgeable buyer can view a home for sale online and make a reasonable determination of whether the home will fit their needs.  Occasionally, buyers will drive by a home to get a feel for the home and also the neighborhood which might cause them to eliminate any further examination or consideration.

The third type, the physical showing, certainly gives the buyer the opportunity for the closest scrutiny but is generally reserved for properties that have passed the inspections of at least one other type of showing.

Sellers should be aware of the different types of showings and that a sales agent’s job is to help the buyer find the right home.  The listing agent’s job is to market the home so that the right buyer finds it either through their own efforts or that of the buyer’s agent.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

With a 2,000+ mile long winter storm affecting much of the country, there are plenty of home owners who wish they were better prepared.  Even when you live in warm climates, some of these things are important to check periodically.

Preparing for the change of seasons can make your home more comfortable and protect your investment.  Regular maintenance extends the various components of a home and can generate savings in operating costs while avoiding expensive replacements.

• Weather strips around doors and windows should be checked for possible air leaks.
• Caulking around windows and doors should seal out moisture and air leaks.
• HVAC should be inspected and serviced by a professional annually.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be tested regularly.
• Ductwork and supply lines from water heaters should be insulated.
• Fireplace chimneys should be cleaned regularly and fireplaces should be inspected for cracks in mortar and to see if the damper closes properly.
• Gutters should be free of leaves and debris to prevent rainwater build-up.
• Tree branches touching or hanging over your roof should be trimmed.

Please contact us if you need a service provider recommendation.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.